So hey, me and my partner are going to Japan for the first time this November. It seems that we have more or less figured out our itinerary, so I would like some outside opinions before we commit to it. Got deleted from r/JapanTravelTips , so here i am with some small revisions.
The idea was to plan one main attraction for the day and then have a list of “add-ons” to choose from if we feel like it or wander around if we don’t.
Here’s what we currently have (I will try to follow the "day – location – accommodation – main goal" structure for clarity):
1. Monday – Osaka – Kyoto – Getting settled
We arrive to Kansai at around 2PM, so I figure we will be in Osaka by like 4. Nothing really planned for the day, except getting everything we need in order. Maybe will visit the aquarium if we have time.
2. Tuesday – Kyoto – Kyoto – Walking tour
A morning/day walking tour (I think with Kyoto localized, but if anyone has better suggestions – i'm open to them), and then some more derping around.
3. Wednesday – Kyoto – Kyoto – Gion Corner Theater
4. Thursday – Nara – Kyoto – well, Nara
Cute deer, stone buddhas, all that jazz
5. Friday – Kyoto – Kyoto – GEAR
plus Sweets Making and Tea Ceremony at Maikoya
6. Saturday – Osaka – Kyoto – Dotonbori?
Not sure if there's anything in particular we want to see, guess we'll just go and explore some. Advice on what to check out for a non-nightlifey couple is welcome.
7. Sunday – Kyoto – Kanazawa – Leaving Kyoto/free-ish day
No plan at all, except we need to get to Kanazawa by the evening. Might walk around Kyoto some more or hop the train and get off at some random stations that seem cute.
High-ish priority add-ons for Kyoto include:
Samurai Ninja Museum
Manga Museum
Kyocera Museum of Art
Kimono Itoko
Museum of Kyoto
Fushimi Inari – still considering if i wanna deal with that
8. Monday – Kanazawa – Kanazawa – Geisha Evening at Kaikaro
plus possibly a workshop at Kaga Yuzen Kimono center.
If you have a super-traditional ryokan/guesthouse in Kanazawa you could recommend – fire away.
9. Tuesday – Kanazawa – Kanazawa – Matto Seaside Park, maybe hotsprings
Advice on what to do in the seaside area is welcome.
10. Wednesday – Kanazawa – Okaya – Leaving Kanazawa/free day
Gotta get to Okaya by the night, so some more walking/exploring random train stations.
Anything in Toyama, Nagano or anywhere else on the way we should check out?
11. Thursday – Okaya – Gotemba – Silk Fact Okaya
Yes, all that trainriding so that i could visit it.
12. Friday – Hakone – Hakone Gora – Well, Hakone stuff.
Part of the loop with the ropeway and ship, lakeshore walk, Glass and Open Air Museums
13. Saturday – Hakone – Yokohama – more Hakone stuff
Whatever we didn't get to the day before, no real plan.
14. Sunday – Yokohama – Tokyo – Nagomi Visit
plus Silk museum
15. Monday – Tokyo – Tokyo – National Museum + Kappabashi
16. Tuesday – Tokyo – Tokyo – teamLab Borderless + Mori Art Museum
17-18-19. 2,5 free days in Tokyo
Shoping, walking around, maybe Nakano Broadway if the partner feels like it (i, well, don't). Pretty sure we'll figure it out.
I'm pretty confident we didn't overplan, but if anything jumps out at you "are they mad"-style – point it out for me.
If it feels like we need more activities – do let me know, cuz before this i mostly traveled around Europe and the "where the fancy takes me" approach worked out quite well, but with a higher language barrier it might be trickier, not sure.
Many thanks (and sorry if you had to suffer through this post twice)!
by Silverade